Holding switch



May 31, 1938. w. TRAUTNER 2,119,450

HOLDING SWITCH Filed June 28, 1937 INVEN TOR. WAG/V TRAU TNE A TTORNEYS.

Patented May 31, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOLDING SWITCH Application June 28, 1937, Serial No. 150,787

7 Claims.

My invention relates to holding switches, and more particularly to a type of switch wherein one of two circuits may be closed manually and the circuit will remain closed until a holding magnet is de-energized, whereupon the closed circuit will automatically open.

The switch of my invention is ideally suited for use in conjunction with a right and left signalling system for vehicles such as has been previously described and claimedby Clarence E. Howard in his application, Serial No. 135,921, filed April 9, 1937, and entitled Vehicle signalling system.

Among the objects of my invention are: To provide a holding switch of simple construction; to provide a holding switch adapted to fit in a casing; to provide a holding switch adapted for dash mounting on a vehicle; to provide a holding switch having an automatic centering device; and to provide a means for covering a switch handle slot.

Other objects of my invention will be apparent or will be specifically pointed out in the description forming a part of this specification, but I do not limit myself to the embodiment of the invention herein described, as various forms may be adopted within the scope of the claims.

My invention may be more fully understood by direct reference to the drawing, which shows one preferred form of my invention as applied to a casing-inclosed switch.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of this preferred form of switch with the casing removed but with certain parts normally attached to the casing shown in suspended position.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal longitudinal section of my invention with one form of casing attached thereto.

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same device.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are diagrams showing three positions of the switch arm.

Fig. 7 is a wiring diagram reduced to lowest terms, showing one way in which my invention may be utilized.

Referring directly to Fig. 1, a base I is provided with uprights 2 of magnetic material joined at the top by a core, not shown, the latter having wound thereon a magnet coil 3. Near the base I, opposed pole pieces l, attached to uprights 2, extend toward each other, leaving a magnetic gap'therebetween. A magnetic armature 5 is placed in this gap, andis mounted on a spring arm 5 attached at the far end of the base I to an arm post 1, and terminating in a handle 9, preferably of circular section. Near the arm post I, the arm 6 is provided with lateral extensions i0 and II, carrying contacts l2 and [3 cpposed to stationary contacts II and I5. Both the arm post and the two stationary contacts are provided with connecting lugs Ii. Arm 6 is made sufficiently resilient so that the armature 5 may be moved to contact either pole piece 4. One way in which the switch arm may be operated is shown in Fig. 7, where a power source 20 is connected to ground at one end, the other end leading through magnet coil 3 and thence to a main line switch 2i, the other contact of the main line switch 2| leading to the arm post 1. Manual movement of the arm 6 through the medium of handle 9, in either direction, will close one or the other of circuits passing through grounded signal lamps 22, which may well be right or left indicator lamps on a vehicle.

Inasmuch as the current passing through the lamps also passes through magnet coil 3, the armature will be held against one of the pole pieces 4 until the switch 2! is opened, whereupon the magnetic circuit will be de-energized and the arm will tend to center itself because of the resiliency of the arm 6.

However, arm 6 is the equivalent of a tuned reed, and the arm would have a tendency to vibrate. I do not, therefore, care to rely upon the resiliency of this arm to center the device because it might reclose a circuit, providing switch II was closed immediately after it was opened.

I have, therefore, provided a particular centering means to be used in conjunction with the switch arm. This centering means is herein described as attaching to a cover 25, which is placed around the base and extends over the top of the switch. I do not, however, wish to be limited to any particular means for supporting the centering device, as it will be obvious from the following description that the centering device may be supported directly from the magnet structure, for example, or on separate supporting members attached to the base I.

It is furthermore to be understood that I consider the casing 25, and especially the front face thereof, to be the full equivalent of any face plate or of the instrument board in a vehicle, inasmuch as in many cases it is desirable that the rnirc device be mounted back of said instrument board with only the handle 9 extending therethrough. The preferred form of centering device is shown suspended without support in Fig. 1, for clearness of illustration, but is shown with one preferred mounting in the remaining figures.

A triangular plate 30 is provided with a spring attachment aperture 3| at its apex, to which a return spring 32 is attached, the latter extending upwardly and having its other end attached to spring clip 34. This spring clip may be attached to the top of the casing 25 or to the front face, or wherever may be convenient. Just below the apex of the triangular plate is a fulcrum bearing 35, this fulcrum bearing accommodating a fulcrum pin 36, which may be conveniently atggched to the front face 31 on the switch casing The base of the triangular plate is provided with a slot 4|] through which handle 9 extends, this slot being in line with the spring attachment aperture 3| and the fulcrum bearing 35. I prefer to position the triangular plate 30 closely against the front face 31 of the switch casing or the instrument board, as the case may be, and to provide a horizontal slot H in the front face 31 to allow for the movement from side to side of the switch handle 9.

In operating the switch setup as described, the triangular plate 30 does two things: it returns the switch arm 6 to a central position without substantial oscillation thereof, and it acts to cover slot 4|.

Three positions in the operation of the switch are shown in Figs. 4, and 6. The central po sition is shown in Fig. 6. Here the spring 32, the spring attachment aperture 3|, the fulcrum pin 35, and the handle 9 are all in line, and the pull of the spring 32 accurately centers the handle 9 in the slot ll. When the switch handle is moved to the left as shown in Fig. 4, the triangular plate 30 is tilted so that the spring 32 is placed under tension. However, in this position the magnet coil 3 is energized and the armature is attracted to the pole piece 4 on the left side and holds against the centering forces. Immediately the magnet coil 3 is de-energized, however, the tension of spring 32 snaps the handle 9 back to the central position. Likewise, as shown in Fig. 5, when the arm is moved in the opposite direction toward the right, the spring is again placed under tension to return the handle 9 to central position when the magnet coil 3 is de-energized.

The apex angle of the triangle is made sufllciently large so that at maximum departure of the handle from the central position, the slot H is covered, and the side angles of the triangular plate are made sufficiently large so that in the central position the slot will be completely covered on both sides of the handle.

The switch of my invention is ideally suited for an instantaneous centering without any tendency to vibrate or to cross over after release to accidentally close the opposite circuit.

It is obvious that while my holding switch is ideally adapted for use with a signalling system such as described, that it is also applicable to many other uses which will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Furthermore, it is to be understood that the word dc-energized as used in this application is used in the sense that the flux of the magnetic circuit is so decreased that the arm will not remain held in right or left position, because it is obvious that the use of a bucking coil wound on the magnetic structure in such a manner that it will reduce the flux even if the current through the main coil remains unbroken, is the full equivalent of total current removal, and I do not wish my invention to be limited in any manner to any particular arrangement of energization or de-energization coils within the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A holding switch for alternatively closing two circuits comprising a central resilient arm, a stationary contact on each side of said arm and connected to one of said circuits, contacts on said arm cooperating with said stationary contacts to close one of said circuits when said arm is moved from central position, an electromagnet positioned with opposed poles on each side of said arm, an armature on said arm cooperating with said poles to hold said arm in circuit closing position when said electromagnet is energized, a face plate having a slot therein through which said arm extends, said slot being dimensioned to allow movement of said arm to close either circuit, a triangular centering plate in contact with said face plate and pivoted near the apex thereof, the base of said centering plate having a notch to allow passage of said arm, the side portions of said centering plate covering said slot apart from said notch, and resilient means attached to said centering plate for lining up said arm in central position when said electromagnet is de-energized.

2. A holding switch for alternatively closing two circuits comprising a central resilient arm, a stationary contact on each side of said arm and connected to one of said circuits, contacts on said arm cooperating with said stationary contacts to close one of said circuits when said arm is moved from central position, an electromagnet positioned with opposed poles on each side of said arm, an armature on said arm cooperating with said poles to hold said arm in circuit closing position when said electromagnet is energized, a face plate having a slot therein through which said arm extends, said slot being dimensioned to allow movement of said arm to close either circuit, a triangular centering plate in contact with said face plate and pivoted near the apex thereof, the base of said centering plate having a notch to allow passage of said arm, the side portions of said centering plate covering said slot apart from said notch, andi a spring attached near the apex of said centering plate and to a fixed support so that when said electromagnet is de-energized and said arm is in central position, the axis of said arm, said pivot, and both said spring attachments are in line.

3. A holding switch for alternatively closing two circuits comprising a central resilient arm, a stationary contact on each side of said arm and connected to one of said circuits, contacts on said arm cooperating with said stationary contacts to close one of said circuits when said arm is moved from central position, an electromagnet positioned with opposed poles on each side of said arm, an armature on said arm cooperating with said poles to hold said arm in circuit closing position when said electromagnet is energized, a face plate having a slot therein through which said am extends, said slot being dimensioned to allow movement of said arm to close either circuit, a triangular centering plate in contact with said face plate and pivoted near the apex thereof, the base of said centering plate having a notch to allow passage of said arm, the side portions of said centering plate covering said slot apart from said notch, and a spring attached near the apex of said centering plate and to a fixed support so that when said electromagnet is de-energized and said arm is in central position, the axis of said arm, said pivot, and both said spring attachments are in line, the tension oi! said spring being insuflicient to break the hold of said armature on a pole when said electromagnet is energired.

4. A holding switch for alternatively closing two circuits comprising a central resilient arm, a stationary contact on each side 01' said arm and connected to one of said circuits, contacts on said arm cooperating with said stationary contacts to close one of said circuits when'said arm is moved from central position, an electromagnet positioned with opposed poles on each side of said arm, an armature on said arm cooperating with said poles to hold said arm in circuit closing position when said eletromagnet is energized, a face plate having a slot therein through which said arm extends, said slot being dimensioned to allow movement of said arm to close either circuit, a triangular centering plate in contact with said face plate and pivoted near the apex thereof, the base of said centering plate having a notch to allow passage of said arm, the side portions said centering plate covering said slot apart from said notch, and a spring attached near the apex of said centering plate and to a flxed support so that when said electromagnet is de-energized and said arm is in central position, the axis of said arm, said pivot, and both said spring attachments are in line, the tension of said spring being insuilicient to break the hold of said armature on a pole when said electromagnet is energized but suflicient to center said arm without substantial oscillation thereof when said electromagnet is de-energized.

5. In combination with a resilient switch arm manually movable in opposite directions to alternatively close one of two circuits, and a magnetic holding coil operable when either circuit is closed to hold said arm in circuit closing position, means for returning said arm to central position when said holding coil is de-energized comprising a face plate having a slot therein through which said arm extends, said slot being dimensioned to allow movement of said arm to close either circuit, a triangular centering plate in contact with said face plate and pivoted near the apex thereof, the base of said centering plate having a notch to allow passage of said arm, the side portions of said centering plate covering said slot apart from said notch, and resilient means attached to said centering plate for lining up said arm in central position when said electromagnet is de-energized.

6. In combination with a resilient switch arm manually movable in opposite directions to alternatively close one of two circuits, and a magnetic holding coil operable when either circuit is closed to hold said arm in circuit closing position, means for returning said arm to central position when said holding coil is de-energized comprising a face plate having a slot therein through which said arm extends, said slot being dimensioned to allow movement of said arm to close either circuit, a triangular centering plate in contact with said face plate and pivoted near the apex thereof, the base of said centering plate having a notch to allow passage of said arm, the side portions of said centering plate covering said slot apart from said notch, and a spring attached near the apex of said centering plate and to a fixed support so that when said electromagnet is de-energized and said arm is in central position, the axis of said arm, said pivot, and both said spring attachments are in line.

7. In combination with a resilient switch arm manually movable in opposite directions to alternatively close one of two circuits, and a magnetic holding coil operable when either circuit is closed to hold said arm in circuit closing position, means for returning said arm to central position when said holding coil is de-energized comprising a face plate having a slot therein through which said arm extends, said slot being dimensioned to allow movement of said arm to close either circuit, a triangular centering plate in contact with said face plate and pivoted near the apex thereof, the base of said centering plate having a notch to allow passage of said arm, the side portions of said centering plate covering said slot apart from said notch, and a spring attached near the apex of said centering plate and to a fixed support so that when said electromagnet is de-energized and said am is in central position, the axis of said arm, said pivot, and both said spring attachments are in line, the tension of said spring being insuflicient to break the hold of said armature on a pole when said electromagnet is energized.

WAGN 'IRAUTNER. 

